I found my calling!

[priu]

Good afternoon,

I am an undergraduate in the medical school application process, and would greatly appreciate feedback to some of my concerns.

Based on what I've read so far about the field, I feel that PM&R is my calling... I want to pick a medical school that would give me the highest chances for progression into this field (and with all honesty I would face any hurdle to be a part of it).

I'm applying to both D.O. and M.D. schools, and I see some parallels between the PM&R and Osteopathy. However, I've read that D.O.'s have trouble entering some medical specialities. I'm not trying to make this a DO vs MD debate, I just want to learn more about such concerns (I feel that I would choose to go to a DO school over acceptance to an MD school). Is it safe to assume that physiatry is not of one of those medical specialities not restricted to M.D.'s only?

What D.O. schools are associated with physiatry? I want the best education possible I can get for physiatry. Based on my stats, I am not too competitive with out of state M.D. programs.

I would like to become involved in PM&R research and become more familiar with the field, but do not know where to start. If possible, I would greatly appreciate any information on PM&R research or shadowing opportunities, or perhaps some direction in which I could go in order to find out. I graduate this December and would like to take advantage of any opportunity I can in the spring and summer preceding medical school (hopefully if everything works out!).

Thank you for any information! If I had known about PM&R earlier, I would have done this sooner.

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[2006MD]

That's awesome that you found your calling.

I went into medicine wanting to do ER based on EMT experiences.
Then I knew I wanted to become a surgeon based on anatomy.
Then I wanted to....

The fact that you want to be a doctor in general (for whatever your reasons are) is great. You should probably concentrate on getting into the best medical school possible. That's a loaded statement, b/c the best schools are usually determined by research. What you want is the best school for physiatry. I could tell you that there is less than a 20% chance you'll end up going into physiatry and you should look at the big picture b/c there are many fields you don't know about...bla, bla, bla. But you may not want to hear that.

So google usnews and worldreport for the top rehab hospitals. If there is a medical school affiliated with it-->bingo!

Hope this helps...and Good Luck.

 

[melancholy]

Good afternoon,

I am an undergraduate in the medical school application process, and would greatly appreciate feedback to some of my concerns.

Based on what I've read so far about the field, I feel that PM&R is my calling... I want to pick a medical school that would give me the highest chances for progression into this field (and with all honesty I would face any hurdle to be a part of it).

I'm very happy that you've been able to discover the field of physiatry so early in your education. I too wish I had heard about it sooner so that I could become involved earlier. That being said, I have seen physiatrists from a huge variety of both MD and DO schools out there. I really don't see much parallel between graduates of highly esteemed medical schools and high positions in PM&R. What may make more of a difference is the amount of exposure or proximity of hospital/institutions/rehab facilities within the area of the medical school that would give more opportunities for local experiences.

I'm applying to both D.O. and M.D. schools, and I see some parallels between the PM&R and Osteopathy. However, I've read that D.O.'s have trouble entering some medical specialities. I'm not trying to make this a DO vs MD debate, I just want to learn more about such concerns (I feel that I would choose to go to a DO school over acceptance to an MD school). Is it safe to assume that physiatry is not of one of those medical specialities not restricted to M.D.'s only?

To tell you the truth, in this modern day and time, no specialty is privy to solely MD's or to DO's. There are some specialties and sub-specialties which are more difficult for DO graduates to enter, but these also tend to be very competitive specialties or residencies at academic institutions. (That's all I'll say about that.) PM&R is a different case though and there is not any bias against DO's in this field that I have seen or heard of so far.

What D.O. schools are associated with physiatry? I want the best education possible I can get for physiatry. Based on my stats, I am not too competitive with out of state M.D. programs.

Not sure what the answer to this is although some DO schools are closer to institutions with PM&R residencies or rehab facilities. U-Mich and UMDNJ have PM&R residencies. Other DO schools around cities like Chicago, New York, and New Jersey have nearby residencies as well. This is not to say that students at other DO schools do not have nearby programs, but the majority tend to be in the mid-west or east coast I think.

I would like to become involved in PM&R research and become more familiar with the field, but do not know where to start. If possible, I would greatly appreciate any information on PM&R research or shadowing opportunities, or perhaps some direction in which I could go in order to find out. I graduate this December and would like to take advantage of any opportunity I can in the spring and summer preceding medical school (hopefully if everything works out!).

Thank you for any information! If I had known about PM&R earlier, I would have done this sooner.

Others may be able to help more with suggestions for getting involved with PM&R research as someone who will be entering medical school soon. That being said, there is something to be said to keeping your options open because you never know when you'll come upon another specialty (possibly closely related) that you fall in love with. It's good to keep an open mind. Good luck!

 

[MM9]

Just to clarify, UMDNJ is an umbrella term for medical schools in NJ. The acronym encompasses 3 schools; 2 allopathic: New Jersey Medical School in Newark and Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick, and one osteopathic: NJ school for Osteo Medicine in Stratford NJ. While all have “UMDNJ” in the title, for all practical purposes as a medical student they are completely separate schools.

From a PM&R standpoint, NJ Med in Newark is affiliated with Kessler. As a 4th year you do a mandatory rotation, but you are able to get involved earlier. You can definitely do research in the first 2 years if you are so inclined and there are plenty of PM&R elective rotations for 3rd and 4th year. I can say first hand that this is a great medical school. The residency program is obviously excellent and takes several NJ Med students in each residency class (has up to 9 or 10 spots a year). Even if you don't stay there, your letters will be recognizable all over the country.

Robert Wood is affiliated with the JFK residency program, though in my opinion perhaps not quite as closely as JFK itself is not on the main RWJ campus (while the rehab office in Newark is a 30 second walk from the 1st and 2nd year lecture halls). RWJ is a great place and I think anyone would do well there. The JFK program is excellent but only has 4 spots a year and is very competitive as well so, I think the NJ Med students have perhaps, and please highlight the perhaps, a relatively better home field advantage.

The osteopathic school is very good, though I do not know quite what the students there do for PM&R. I know through friends that PM&R is a popular specialty choice at that school.

Obviously, having gone to NJ Med I am somewhat biased, but I think it gives you an amazing exposure to a top 3 PM&R program. From a strictly rehab standpoint you could not go wrong.

Good Luck, and do keep an open mind. PM me if you'd like to know more about NJ Med or the other Jersey schools......I could tell you about Philly programs/Schools too, if you like.

 

[melancholy]

Ahh thanks for the clarification on the NJ institutions. I still hadn't learned exactly what their affiliations were.

 

[priu]

2006MD, Melancholy, and MM9,

Thank you very much for the feedback! I've added those schools to my application lists. As for research, I will contact doctors on the AAMPR website in a random fashion and search for those who would be interested in letting me shadow them and perhaps find out about research through them.

As for interests, I have to agree... I don't really know what's out there in medicine and it may be naive of me to think in that way.

I wish there was some way in which I could offer some advice as well, but perhaps that may involve me logging onto SDN in the future and giving information to another prospect. I wish you all the best of luck in your careers!

 

[axm397]

Also would recommend looking into Northwestern. (required rotation at RIC) RIC has an externship program for the summer btwn 1st and 2nd year. (I heard its a pretty sweet deal - get $$, etc.)

Echo the sentiment for UMDNJ. Loved both Kessler and JFK.